49ers Christian McCaffrey carries the ball for several yards during first half action of their home game against the San Francisco 49ers in Orchard Park on Dec. 1, 2024. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rams' Biggest Threat Gets Positive Health Update

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 10:13 AM ET

When Christian McCaffery has taken the field against the Rams throughout his career, he's gashed the defense time and time again. Once McCaffery made his way to San Francisco , running behind Kyle Shanahan's zone blocking scheme and as a weapon in the pass game, his play took off to another level, to the point it was a foregone conclusion that McCaffery would score at least one touchdown in every contest.

McCaffery, winner of the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, spent most of 2024 injured, suffering from various lower-body injuries. McCaffery has a history of injuries, having missed significant playing time in 2020, 2021, and 2024, but according to 49ers' fullback Kyle Juszczyk, McCaffery looks better than ever entering 2025.

"Christian is arguably the best player in the NFL,"Juszczyk told The Athletic's Vic Tafur. "He was the offensive Player of the Year two years ago. He changes everything, and he looks incredible. He looks so healthy, he looks so explosive."

McCaffery is the key to everything the 49ers like to do offensively, and as we all know, Kyle Shanahan prioritizes certain players over others in order to produce the results he had had, so considering McCaffery is on a different level in closeness, best believe Shanahan has been designing new concepts for his versatile weapon.

So, how does this impact the Rams? Well, Sean McVay has struggled to defeat Kyle Shanahan in the regular season when both their teams are at full strength. The 49ers have a noted history of dominance within the trenches, due to their continual rushing attack, something the Rams have struggled with across the NFL.

However, this is not the Rams of old, and their defense is nothing like how it used to be. With massive investments into the Rams' front seven, including NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, the Rams defense, especially the defensive line are looking to turn the tide in the NFC West.

It helps that Kobie Turner and Poona Ford may be the best run stopping duo the Rams have had in the McVay era but the true change comes from an increased investment by Les Snead into the linebacker room.

If McCaffery is good to go, the 49ers' rushing attack versus the Rams' new front seven will be one of the most violent, action-packed battles in football.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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